Method for manufacturing a steel sheet product

#This application is a U.S. National Phase Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2020/068715, filed Jul. 2, 2020, which claims priority to European Application No. 19185119.5, filed Jul. 9, 2019, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

#The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a steel sheet product and to a steel sheet product.

#High strength steel sheets are commonly used in e.g. the production of containers and tipper bodies of heavy duty vehicles. The high strength makes it possible to reduce the overall weight of the part by reducing its thickness and is therefore beneficial from an energy efficiency point of view. Apart from a high strength, steel sheet products for use in such products need to have good formability and high surface quality. Moreover, for many products, such as for containers and flatbeds for trucks, it is beneficial to provide steel sheet products that combine a large width with a small thickness. Widths of more than 2500 mm may be requested for certain applications, and sometimes in combination with thicknesses of less than 5 mm.

#With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

#In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention,

#It is to be noted that all drawings are schematic. Details may thus be omitted and the various features may not be drawn to scale.

#A method according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. Reference is also made to FIG. 2, schematically illustrating a steel sheet product 1 being manufactured using the method according to an embodiment of the invention.

#In a first step 101, at least two steel sheets 2, 3 extending in a longitudinal direction A are provided. The steel sheets 2, 3 are preferably low alloyed high strength steel sheets which are not provided with any surface coating such as a metal coating. A surface oxide layer may however be present on the steel sheets. The steel sheets 2, 3, may e.g. be produced by strip rolling of a steel slab in a hot rolling or a cold rolling process such that a steel strip is formed. The steel sheets 2, 3 are thereafter formed from the rolled steel strip, e.g. by cutting the steel strip to length. The steel sheets 2, 3 may have identical or substantially identical chemical compositions. A width w of each of the steel sheets, as measured in a transverse direction B perpendicular to the longitudinal direction A, may be at least 1000 mm, preferably at least 1250 mm. The steel sheets 2, 3 may not necessarily have the same width. A thickness t of the steel sheets 2, 3 may be 2-6 mm, such as 2-5 or 3-5 mm. A length-to-width ratio of the steel sheets 2, 3 may by way of example be between 5:1 and 10:1.